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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · vault · swing · calf · pound · bass · squash · race

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. swing — to play on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. race — a contest
  5. swing — in golf
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. swing — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bass — the fish
  21. race — humankind
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com